The Demon in the Dark
by Sora-M-Jigen
Summary: Markiplier x Reader. It's Halloween, so you decide to bust out the good old Oujia board. Nothing can go wrong, right?
1. The Foolish Mortals

After editing his Halloween Horror Extravaganza gameplay for the night, Mark stretched in his chair and posted the content to his Youtube channel. As he watched the video to make sure everything was done perfectly, you finished prepping the bedroom. A pillow fort consisting of dark blankets, Halloween decorated pillows, jack o lanterns, and spider plushies surrounded you, as you anticipated your boyfriend's arrival. Dangling skeletons with glowing bones would guide him to you, clad in a simple super hero costume as you fiddled with a deck of tarot cards. Laying the cards down at your feet you studied the designs and read the descriptions. The Moon was beautiful just like the one outside the window, Death was as dark and brooding as the night sky, and the Lovers made you grin. Smiling at this artwork of a man and woman gracing each other's presence beneath a flowered angel, you couldn't help but to imagine yourself and Mark.

It had been a few years since you two fatefully met at a convention after party. You were at a table about to eat a salad with a few friends when you heard an addictively enthusiastic voice on a microphone not too far from you. Attracted to the vocals you briefly left your table to watch the performance. The performer was handsome with fair skin which was complimented by his floofy black hair. From the murmuring and dancing crowd around you, you learned that the man at the microphone's name was Mark Fischbach. He was brilliant, enunciating every word to Journey's Don't Stop Believin, giving it his all, and having fun with the song. You couldn't help but to dance and somewhere in between shaking your hips, he happened to notice you with those playful, chocolate orbs. After his session was complete, he joined you in the crowd and you immediately hit it off.

Your thoughts were immediately broken as you drew the Tower card and placed it before you. Of all the cards to draw on Halloween, the Tower was an omen of future disaster, foreboding misfortune, and impending doom. Shivers ran down your spine at the mere idea of this card and to think you had drawn Death not too long ago. It was uncanny and amplified by the mere spookiness of the holiday as you nervously bit your lower lip.

"Happy Halloween," Mark entered the room, speaking with a spooky tone and erupting into a playfully evil cackle.

Jumping a bit, you weren't expecting Mark, but regardless you grinned and cackled loudly with him.

Shrugging off the Tower, you figured it was a coincidence; a mere uncanny, spooky coincidence. Things like that always happened, especially on Halloween. Your love for Halloween was unbound, just like Mark's. It was a wonderful time of the year when the Autumn chill was setting in and preparing itself for a night of ghoulish delight. A night where everyone took to the streets clad in costumes, hiding under masks and makeup just to receive candy from someone they may or may not know. A night when telling ghost stories in the dark was more thrilling and chilling. A night when fooling around with tarot cards and palm readings and Oujia boards seemed surreal, as though you were trapping yourself in a horror movie with no escape until the dawn emerged.

"Happy Halloween to you too," you returned his wish and grinned like a lunatic to which he did the same.

Turning off the lights, Mark grabbed a flash light and guided his way through the blanket fort. Clad in a Venom shirt with black jeans, it was a simple outfit to match yours. Putting the cards away, you retrieved the main event for the evening. Trick or treating had ended an hour ago, so you knew no trick or treaters would bother you.

"What do you have in store for us tonight?" Mark questioned as he suspiciously eyed the object your fingers lightly brushed against.

"Ever hear of a little thing called an Ouija board?"

"Yeah, but aren't those things dangerous?"

By now you had heard all the rumors and stories and refused to believe any of them. They were all tales told by others to scare people. You had brushed off those myths as nothing more than old wives' tales and purchased the Ouija board. Although, you could feel your beliefs tested by the way the cashier looked at you. She was a woman, no more your age who had gazed upon the board as she rang it up. Her worried eyes scanned over the case, knowing all too well what lied inside. You heard her swallow something and watched her trembling lips utter the price and a cautionary 'be careful with that.' Reaching for the money in your wallet, you questioned if you should make this purchase. Slowly, you handed her the amount due and watched her bag the board. She barely touched the object, as though it were crafted with snake venom and sulfur and reluctantly handed you the bag. No sooner she did, you bolted out of the store, reaffirming the belief in your head that nothing bad would come of this.

"Nah, nothing will happen. It's just a board anyway."

Setting up the board, you watched Mark's concern gradually fading away. You knew in your heart he trusted you as you trusted him, why you both lived together in a nice little ranch home in a friendly neighborhood. Placing the planchette on the board, you smoothly slid your fingers on top. By now all anxiousness had died within you and Mark as you felt confident about the Oujia board. Slowly, Mark slid his finger tips on top of the planchette, feeling the smooth yet cold texture. Looking at you, you saw the last glimmer of doubt melt away in his eyes as you leaned over the board and gently kissed him.

"It'll be all right, I swear," you spoke softly, the words soothing his tense shoulders and calming him.

Brushing through the directions, you saw that in some way you had to welcome the spirits with a chant or a prayer. In a moment the Oujia board felt like a game. You had to guess the correct code to get your adventure started or else you would never begin. Thinking of something, you tried to create a chant in your head to invite the spirits into your abode. Maybe it would do something, maybe it wouldn't. Maybe they would understand your chant as a humble, but spooky greeting to fit this Halloween night. Arranging words in your head, you finally managed to come up with something as you smiled and spoke in a clear tone.

"Goblins and ghoulies, creatures of fright, we summon you now to dance through the night."

Nothing. Your fingers were still and the planchette didn't move from the letter 'G'. It was possible the spirits didn't hear you. Clearing your throat, you tried another chant you imagined.

"Creepies and crawlies toads in a pond, croak for the demons with a spiritual bond!"

Still nothing. Maybe that was just a terrible chant or the spirits had grown so old they couldn't hear you. Screaming the words would just be irritating and unnecessary. Maybe another one would at least do something. Impatience was slowly eating away at you from the inside out, but you knew that the spirits needed to take their time and receive your invitation.

"Rap on a table, it's time to respond. Send us a message from somewhere beyond."

**Knock knock.**

The hair on your back rose in terror as you watched Mark with stunned eyes. Mark's eyebrows were raised with saucer eyes as his lips were parted in confusion. Rapt with wonder and terror, Mark looked at you through the light of the hanging skeletons, his voice rushed with concern.

"What was that?!"

**Knock knock.**

Mark quickly looked to the threshold of your bedroom. Nothing stood there but an uneasy tension which slithered its way in and bit you both. The air grew thick and foreboding, as though someone unleashed transparent smoke into the room, and you were both breathing it in, waiting to see what would happen. It wasn't the door; no one could have been at the door. It was too late for anyone to be out, especially any trick or treaters. Both of your friends either lived too far away or were out celebrating the holiday in their own way.

**KNOCK. KNOCK.**

The abrupt rapping made you jump with fright, your fingers trembling and gripping the planchette for dear life. Whatever was knocking was impatient and needy, as though trying to get in regardless if it had to break any obstacle in its path. The knocking seemed to bounce off throughout the walls in your house. A thousand hands rapping at the walls, trying to break down the structure, tear up the floors, and get to you. A million ghostly beasts trying to break through on the other side and the very idea of them doing so chilled you to the bone.

"Maybe we should stop," Mark cautiously whispered.

Maybe you should have listened to the cashier and question why she would act in such a way when ringing up the Oujia board. Had she known the evil that rested within it? Did she believe the stories? Or was she a victim? She did have a peculiar scar on her arm, as though someone or something clawed at her. But maybe she had a cat and you were being overly paranoid. Not hearing Mark, you swallowed hard.

"As goblin vizard at this spell of the pale wizard who sinks to Hell, rise up tonight to give us a wondrous fright!"

Minutes of silence seemed like hours as no rapping was heard yet tension still hung thickly in the air around you. Breathing hard, Mark looked at you with stern eyes that tried to be tranquil. Confusion swept over your face. Mark was never irritated towards you and it was strange to see him like this. Usually he was calm about everything, but he seemed rather unnerved by this, especially your last chant. His voice shook with what seemed like unraveling nerves descending into fear as he spoke as calmly as he could.

"Wait, didn't you hear me?"

"No, what did you say?"

"I said—"

He was cut off by the sudden jerk of the planchette.

It darted about the board as your fingers struggled to stay on it. Letter to letter, number to number, it was as though someone injected the planchette with caffeine, and it was experiencing it for the first time. Keeping your eyes locked with Mark, your eyes grew wider with every movement as his did the same. Maybe the Tower's premonition was unfurling and you immediately wondered how you could stop the very near future. As if sensing your finger tips were about to give way, the planchette slowly guided itself to the letters needed to create the word 'HELLO.'

Biting your lower lip, you stared at Mark. He had to be doing this. There was no other logical explanation. He was acting goofy and trying to get a scare out of you. Yeah, that had to be it. But he was trying to tell you something (rather, had tried to tell you something), and now you wished you had heard what he had said. Maybe it would have been a joke to calm you or something to ease your shaking bones. Trying to relieve the situation of any stress or fear, you smiled halfheartedly and laughed softly.

"Quit moving the thing, Mark," you spoke in a kidding tone.

"Um….I'm not moving it."

Releasing your hands from the planchette, your eyes widened as the dial darted about the board like an ant trying to avoid being burnt from the Sun. The glass circle fell over letters which spelled out nothing of importance. With every letter appearing beneath the glass your heart started to crawl to a dead stop in pure terror. Sensing your fear, Mark tried to reach over and grab your hand to reassure you that everything would be all right. As his shaking fingers neared yours, the pointed tip of the dial halted at him. Looking down, you both watched the dial, hoping it would dart about once more. Instead it stayed as still as a stone, focused on Mark and filling your heads with confusion.

Feeling his hand jerk as though someone slapped it, Mark yanked his palm back and yelped. Hitching his breath, he doubled over as though someone had kicked him in the canon. Uncertain of the situation before you, you leaned over the Ouija board with worry raging in your eyes. Watching his body thrash about, you gripped the edge of the board in front of you as fear took hold. You could see his muscles rise, his jaw lock, his skin pale, his fingers tighten and loosen, and you could do nothing. You didn't know what could be done as you immediately regretted the idea of using an Ouija board on Halloween. Thrusting the board away from you both, you reached out and grasped Mark's shaking shoulders.

"Mark! Mark, what's wrong?!"

At your question Mark stopped moving, as though someone had stopped time, and he was trapped under that person's spell. Staring at him with wide eyes you watched as his pupils rolled to the top of his eyes, nearly vanishing behind his head. A terror inducing aura of darkness and foreboding emerged from Mark and wrapped itself around your body as though pulling you closer to him. You felt yourself give in and inch as close as you possibly could to Mark, hoping it would help him in some way. Shaking his head wildly, you felt the aura temporarily disconnect from your frame as his eyes were wide with horror and locked with yours. His jaw lowered itself as though he had forgotten how to and it trembled like a shivering leaf.

"Mark?"

"Run."

"Mark?!"

"Run!"

"I'm not leaving without you, Mark. What's wrong?!"

"RUN!"

His shriek rang out in your ears as you felt his innocence be stripped and give way to a darker being whose demonic voice screamed in triumph at dominating his body. Quickly gripping your arms with his hands, you couldn't escape. Wriggling and squirming seemed to do nothing as his hold on you grew stronger. From his soft lips and eyes, darkness climbed onto his skin, hiding his natural shade. This shadowy skin slid down his twitching arms and shaky palms, sealing away the Mark you knew into a dark cocoon. Once every fragment of his skin was covered in this ghastly darkness, he stopped moving once more. His grip on your arms grew with pain as his fingers transformed into claws which dug into your skin. Grabbing his wrists, you pried his talons away from you as you stumbled back.

"MARK!"

Hoping there was still some shred of Mark within this new being, your heart pounded throughout your skull, and rang in your ears. Each vibration was more nerve wracking than the last as your eyes never left this new darkly skinned Mark. Each beat struck your entire body as though you were nothing more than a skeleton with a heart. With every beat you could feel it striking your throat, making your vocal chords shaky, just like the rest of you. With as much softness as you could muster through your worry you only spoke one name.

"Mark?"

"I don't feel quite myself," a soft, eerie voice rumbled from the man before you.

Sharply looking up at you, you noticed that Mark's chocolate orbs were gone. In their place were ebony circles with white dots for pupils. The eerie light from the skeletons over your head revealed this new thing that possessed Mark. He was something else, a spirit from the great realms beyond, a shadowy figure hiding in the corner, a demon called forth from the Oujia board. Your shoulders tensed as the lights began to flicker and gave way to this demon's sharpened ivory fangs tipped with pink, as though he had come from a fresh kill. Around his lips you could smears of blood which still stank of the dead and made you cringe. Even his hair stood on edge, losing any of its gentle floof that was there. His new hair resembled the tips of knives which went against Mark's original fluffy floofy strands.

"….Mark?"

"Mark is no more."

The skeletal lights turned to darkness. In this new shadowy fort you only saw those white pupils staring into your soul and stealing it with every passing second. Your breath hitched in fear of this new being as you heard him snarl and lick his lips in the dark like a wolf who had found his prey. Clicking his fangs together he watched you curl against the pillows at your back in the dark. Those white dots never left you, sending shivers to every nerve in your frame.

"W-who are you?"

Within seconds those white dots were in your face, analyzing every note of fear that reverberated from you. The scent of blood was even stronger now as you bit your lower lip hard, forcing yourself not to feel ill. Your stomach sank so low it vanished into nonexistence as your mind whirred for some sort of answer. Not solution was in sight and Mark was nowhere to be found, instead it was a demon you had raised from what you thought would be nothing more than Halloween fun. Nothing would be all right until Mark's kind face appeared as you tried to focus on his caring smile and gentle eyes to help calm you. You tried to imagine Mark having a pillow fight with you, cosplaying with you, holding you until you fell asleep. A low,playful cackle rang out from Mark's possessed throat as your thoughts were torn by the demon before you. There was no escaping this monstrosity you had brought upon yourself and Mark as you watched his lengthy tongue swirl along his lips.

"I'm Darkiplier. And you better run."


	2. Dots

Running down the hall from your bedroom, you could hear Darkiplier at your heels. Tearing through the kitchen, you didn't want to stay in there long; you kept your steak knives out on the counter top. You didn't want to use any violence towards Darkiplier and you definitely didn't want him to use the blades on you. Sprinting into the dining room, you searched for a place to hide. Eyes dancing in the darkness, your heart raced as fast as your mind. Throwing open the doors to a small cupboard you hurriedly poked your head in, wondering if you could squeeze inside. Cursing quietly, there was no room and you knew that even if you did make room for yourself, it wouldn't be enough. Looking about the room once more, there was no other hiding spot in sight. Under the table would be too obvious and too complicated to escape. Behind a chair would be a dead giveaway and beneath the shelves that held gifts from various fans would do nothing. Through the shadows you managed to see the outline of a frame holding some fanart. It was probably a hand drawn picture of Mark in one of his outfits which made your chest burst with the unrivaled pain of heartache.

You didn't mean for this to happen nor was it your intent. You merely wanted to have a good scare on Halloween, not be chased by a psychopathic lunatic whose footsteps grew clos- your eyes widened and your lungs suddenly stopped functioning.

In a mere second your pounding brain was silenced by the mere threatening thought that you had to move fast. You swore you heard a rough pitter patter in the kitchen, as though a monstrous rogue tarantula was unleashed in the house. Swiftly turning on your heel, your eyes were locked with those unforgiving white dots. Standing in the center of the archway, you felt yourself stumble backwards. Grabbing a chair for support, you watched those dots slowly creep closer; the wolf watching its prey's every move. In the darkness you heard that savage tongue licking blood tainted lips as your heart writhed with disgust and terror.

Tension stilled between you two as though you both suddenly gained the power to stop time. Breathing would be the ultimate time breaker as you held your breath. You knew what would happen when you released; the chase would begin again and you had to move quickly before he did anything. Thoughts of survival tactics flooded through your head and none of them seemed to help the situation at hand. Other ideas slipped in as you wondered what he could do other than be incredibly intimidating and what would make him vanish. Maybe since he came from the Oujia board he could be eliminated with it? How to destroy the board then was another question. The cashier had said nothing about getting rid of the board and you never bothered to look up how.

Your lungs collapsed, forcing you to free any air you had been storing. Your breath was a gunshot as Darkiplier's dots turned to paper thin slits. Those piercing lines lunged forward as his fangs glimmered in the shadows and you felt your body sink. Swiftly looking around for something to defend yourself with, you noticed your hand gripping the chair in terror. Shaking fingers slowly rose from the chair as you tore through your nerves and raised it. Throwing it forward, the chair crashed into Darkiplier's chest. The very sound rattled your ears as you bit your lower lip and shuffled backward in terror. Crashing to the floor, Darkiplier curled up in a ball of hurt. Hissing in pain, you cringed knowing that beneath that dark shell was the man you adored. The very fact that you just threw a chair at something possessing his body caused tears to well up in your eyes.

For a moment your entire body trembled at the realization that when Mark awoke from Darkiplier's control his chest could be aching and he wouldn't know why. Or would he? Would he hate you for it? Or would he understand?

Every tremor of your nerves forced you to stand still and realize what you had done. Thoughts of going to Darkiplier and comforting him, trying to break Mark from the demon's grasp, and setting everything right flooded your head. Maybe it would work, you tried to convince yourself as you watched Darkiplier cling to his chest. Hot tears rolled down your cheeks as you refrained from sobbing. If he felt that pain when he was freed from Darkiplier's control you would do everything in your will to see that it would vanish. You would give him some Bayer and make him his favorite meal every night. You would build pillow forts for him and do anything in your unshakable will to make sure that he felt better and he forgave you. Your silent cries were broken by claws digging deep into your ankle. Breaking your gaze with the darkness, you sharply looked down to see those dots and that salivating smile staring back at you.

Like a slap to the temporal lobe, your brain resurfaced the fact that this was not Mark Fischbach. It was the demon in the dark, the monster under your bed, the nightmare king, and you knew you had to escape. You dared not show your pain to this demonic Darkiplier as you drew your foot back and proceeded to kick his lower jaw. Shrieking, Darkiplier reeled his hand from your ankle as you ran off once more.

Sprinting through the living room and reaching the main stretch of hallway, you swore the shadows on the wall morphed with every step you took. It was a strange phenomenon you hadn't noticed before as you wondered if Darkiplier was the reason behind it. Freddy Fazzbear's shadow cloaked the wall as he parted his jaws, ready to swallow you whole. Stepping forward, his shadow melded into the monster mother from Among the Sleep as she threw her jagged hand backward. Throwing your arms over your head, you anticipated the attack of the shadowy beast. Quickened footsteps drew your attention to the parlor and without thinking, you swiftly turned only to be met with more shadows.

Thousands and thousands of shadows drowned the faint silhouettes of the furniture and plasma tv as you watched the foreboding darkness take form. One by one, the shadows molded into an armada of Amnesia monsters as the stench of gore rose from their shadowy bodies. Bloodied gums and obscenely parted jaws crept towards you and somewhere in that darkness you saw those white dots peering back at you with a toothy grin of triumph. Every step backward you took to the wall was a step closer to sealing your fate by the hands of Darkiplier. Shaking with fear, you hurriedly looked for anything to defend yourself with, but alas nothing was nearby. The doors to the recording room and bedroom were too far from you. If you made a mad dash to either one it would be fruitless, knowing that you wouldn't have made it. You did not know the strength of these dark monstrosities or Darkiplier as he watched you squirm like a worm avoiding dissection. In his fangs you could read the notion that he wanted you to surrender and allow yourself to be devoured. Swallowing hard, you shook your head wildly. You were a fighter; that made his grin stretch to his ears and launch his army of Amnesia friends at you.

Your scream was so loud it was impressive that the glass didn't shatter or alarm your neighbors. Hunched over, you waited for death to take hold and sweep you into nothingness. You could hear the clicking of the monster maws nearly an inch away from your face. The reeking perfume of gore seemed closer now than ever as it made your knees buckle and give. Gripping the wall behind you, you refused to fall – you would be an even easier prey on the ground, curled up in terror with nothing to save you.

Click.

Darkiplier's claws gripped around the front door handle, locking you and him in the same house with the beasts before you. With no escape in sight or in mind, you chanted 'Mark' beneath your breath in an attempt to quell your rattling bones. Yet with every syllable rolling off your tongue, you felt the pain in your heart throb and strengthen the stabs of memories of you two together before this dreaded night.

Gradually raising your head you stared at the living room. Shadows faded into the deepest corners of the parlor with no Amnesia army in sight. Slowly, your body stopped its trembling as you wondered if it was all a vivid hallucination made from the darkest void of your brain and maybe this was all a nightmare. That had to be the answer. There was no mistaking that. But that couldn't explain the distinctive trace of blood hanging in the air like a white elephant in the room.

From the corner of your eye, you saw those hungry white dots and that gore tainted grin. Eyes widened as you felt your skin pale immensely. Darkiplier could command those shadows and what they transformed into. That was it. That was the logical reason your brain had come to and accepted and terrified you to the bone. If this was a mere fragment of his power you wondered what else he could do and how else he could sign your soul to the Grim Reaper. Your knees wobbled with fright which made his psychopathic grin broaden, unfurling to the tips of his ears. What was this Darkiplier, what was this beast, what was this ghastly gaunt ghost of a man who wanted you as dinner and dead.

Behind Darkiplier, you felt your heart catch in your throat as the shadows of the Amnesia army rise up once more and cling to the demon's aura. Radiating with cruelty and villainy, Darkiplier's eyes never left you. You could only think of one place left to hide as you pulled yourself from the wall you so desperately clung to. Slowly walking backwards, you watched Darkiplier as the dark beasts stretched their needy hands, wanting to tear into your flesh until they could feast no more. As you walked deeper into the main hall, you watched the shadows multiply. Taking a deep breath, you quickly turned on your heel and bolted to your hiding spot. As you ran, no footsteps echoed your own or gained on you. It was as though Darkiplier and his summons vanished, but you knew not to trust that idea.

Reaching a closet past the bathroom and the kitchen, you quietly opened and closed the door. The closet was filled with coats already to block out any view from the locked shutter door at your back. Slinking into the deepest corner of the miniature closet, you surrounded yourself with jackets, boxes, and other things to hide from Darkiplier. Trying to quiet your breathing, you shrunk into the corner and waited with bated breath. What would happen next you did not know as the seconds seemed to move as slowly as a snail sliding down a wall. The darkness in the closet shrouded you with a veil that comforted you, knowing that you were hidden from Darkiplier. It was a nice safe haven that you could gain solace from until terror injected itself into your heart once more.

Within this comfort inducing spot, you quickly whipped out your phone and began to look up how to get rid of an Oujia board. After browsing through a few sites they all seemed to produce the same answer: fire. By setting the board on fire, it would eliminate the board any evil that befell you; including Darkiplier. Now it was just a matter of obtaining the board and taking it to an area where you could control the fire. You didn't want to set the house or any of Mark's expensive equipment ablaze.

"In the darkness you'll be able to hear something rattling in your house."

Your eyes widened and immediately turned your phone off. The relieving answer vanished into your device, but clung to the front of your mind. Darkiplier spoke as though he was with you in that closet and yet he was nowhere in sight. His vocals reverberated throughout the closet and down the hall, as though you were trapped in a locked auditorium. As his voice wound its way throughout the closet, you heard something rattling in the distance like bones trapped in a tin can. It was primal and wild as it grew closer, your eyes darted about in the cramped space to find the source of the sound.

"Something standing behind you that you didn't notice before."

Your shoulders tensed as you stopped breathing. The voice seemed to be closer and softer, as though Darkiplier was whispering in your ear. You swore you felt his demon breath on your neck, but you figured it was only a chill. By now, a cool sheen of sweat had grown on you from running and fear. It seemed to grow more potent now and made you shiver in terror. The rattling noise had ceased, but your bones couldn't stop themselves from shaking.

"But you're too afraid to turn around now because, what if it actually is there?"

There was no possible way for anything to be in the closet. The door was locked and already barricaded by the barrage of jackets. But something in your head told you to believe those words. Something made you think that there was someone or something standing at your spine, breathing down your neck, and filling the room with that horrific blood scent. Swallowing hard, you took a deep breath and swiftly turned your head.

There in the darkness was a hollow abyss met with the bottoms of jackets and scarves. Yet it seemed darker, much darker than it had been since you entered the closet. Your eyes darted about searching for that something that Darkiplier made you believe was trapped in there with you. Nothing moved or breathed other than you. You were the only one in this closet. You were the only one listening to Darkiplier and being tricked by his words. You were the wolf's victim.

A soft, eerie chuckle filled the closet, forcing you to press your palm against your mouth to suppress any gasp of fright.

"There's much worse things waiting for you."

Dread weighed down your shoulders as you felt eyes upon your skull. Slowly turning, you noticed there was a small hole in your fort of boxes. Your heart pounded as though it was on its last living beat and your head throbbed with fear. You knew what was going to be seen through that miniature gap that you hadn't noticed before and wondered how exactly it was made. Maybe by your own foolishness or fear, you didn't know. You didn't want to look into the hole, but you knew you had to confront your fears. As you slowly leaned down to peer through the box fort, your breathing crawled along your throat like a prisoner dragging a boulder.

At first, there was darkness. Deep, unforgiving darkness. Once again you found solace in this darkness, believing that you were just hearing things and that Darkiplier was nowhere near you. It lured you into a false sense of security, making you think that for once in your life you were safe from the monster under your bed, and that demons were nothing more than the stuff of mythological legends. You found comfort in this darkness and breathed a sigh of relief.

Only then did the darkness reveal two white dots staring at you through the shutter door.


	3. Demon Play, Demon Out

It was at then you realized that maybe hiding in the closet wasn't such a good idea.

Those white dots followed your widened, terrified eyes as you searched for something to help you. Not expecting to find much in a closet, you watched the dots from the corner of your eye. He didn't have to anything other than stare at you, knowing that those eyes could easily intimidate and you knew it too. Those dots tore into your soul and made your heart rattle, like a caged bird in dire need of escape.

Somehow, you had to escape and the only way to do that was out the door. There were no secret passages in the closet and nowhere to go but forward. From there, you had to work your way into the bedroom, and grab the Oujia board, but what would you do from there? You needed to burn the board with any hope of getting Mark back. The only sources of fire were the stove and the fire pit in the back yard. Yet you knew entering the kitchen would possibly lead to your imminent demise due to the knives and Darkiplier's speed. Mapping out a battle plan in your mind, the ideas came together like a puzzle; the last piece clicking into position in your head. Examining the master plan in your mind, it would work out or so you hoped. You had to run the risks of the Amnesia army and Darkiplier himself, though with any plan there was always a risk.

The waft of gore slowly crept in through the gaps in the door, twisting your stomach into knots as Darkiplier slowly dragged his claws on the door. Through the shutters, you saw his smile unfurling to the tips of his ears, bearing his blood tainted fangs. From his back you saw the Amnesia army of shadows emerge once more, their gaping maws and distorted bodies staring at you in between the gaps. Fear pulled you into its unshakable grip once more, drowning the plan in the foggy waters of your mind.

Inching to the back of the closet, your skin turned a ghostly hue as you swallowed hard. Their dark fingers and hands poked as much as they could through the gaps, stretching to reach you. With mere inches away from your face, your body shook with terror as the realization struck you rather hard: he was trying to get you out of the closet. He wanted you out so the wolf could claim his victim and eat until there was nothing left but bones. You had known all this time that Darkiplier wanted to devour you, but the idea hadn't really hit you until this moment. The notion of Darkiplier, the force possessing your boyfriend, and using his body to eat you like a ravenous wolf made your stomach shrink. The mere imagery of him tearing those fingers off and plopping them in between his fangs made you swallow the bile building in your throat. Pressing your hand to your lips, you tried to erase the horrific ideas coming to mind.

Shutting your mind out to the nightmarish visions rising in the back of your head, you bit your lower lip. There was no more time for fear or cowering. Now was time to make a stand to save Mark, knowing he would do the same for you. You had the plan hand and knew what to do. It was just a matter of execution. In order for your plan to succeed, you would have to be quicker than him and/or create a diversion. But how, was an answer that wasn't approaching any time soon. Trying to inch back even further into the closet, you hit the wall with a resounding thud which caused two items to fall into your lap. The first was a hanger which made you realize that there had to be a few more unused hangers in the closet. The second was a broom, which could prove useful as a weapon if striking the demons hard enough. Slowly standing you encountered a few empty hangers in the closet which resurfaced your plan and strengthened it. Grabbing the hangers, you shoved them into the hands of the Amnesia army who yanked them backward, lodging them into the gaps. Darkiplier hissed with anger as the army fiddled with the hangers, trying to pull them out and push them back in. Their fingers were trapped between the hangers and gaps as they all roared in frustration and confusion. Gripping the broom, you unlocked the closet door and lunged with all your might.

The weight of Darkiplier and his shadow fiends was a bit stronger than you imagined, but the door aided you in pushing them back. Bolting from the crevice created by the opened door, you thwacked monsters that stretched their necks to take a bite of you. As their heads reeled, you tore through the bathroom and locked it behind you. Through another door, you entered the bedroom as an avalanche of rumbling footsteps tore through the hall way. There wasn't much time as you dove beneath the blanket fort and quickly retrieved the Oujia board. Emerging from the fort, your eyes darted to the bedroom door as you noticed it starting to open.

"SHIT!"

Tossing the board and broom to the side, you threw yourself forward, pressing your weight to the door and slamming it shut. In that moment of silence you heard the demon's heart race against the sounds of a thousand claws itching to break down the door. Quickly locking the door, the sounds seemed to grow louder as if the door did nothing. Your brain throbbed with the idea of Darkiplier and his demons busting down the door and swallowing you in one swift gulp.

Panting hard, you knew that soon you would no longer hear those noises. You knew that they would fade into the silence of the dark night and hold Mark in your arms once more. It wouldn't be long now as you tiredly walked to the board and held it close. Soon this nightmare would end. The shadows would be swallowed in the fire, Darkiplier would die by flames, and this would be nothing more than a very well learned experience. Mark would be here again and you quietly hoped that he didn't feel any pain that you inflicted upon his body during the course of the night.

"You think you're so clever," he growled through the wood as he fumbled with the doorknob, the very sound making your spine cringe. Worrying the lock would break from his power you threw yourself to the door, your weight pressing tightly against it.

"Think again," Darkiplier's voice crept through the door as you drew your eyes to the top of the door frame.

Greeted with a thick line of darkness, you slowly backed away from the door with your heart ringing in your head. Something nipped at your ankles as you sharply looking down, you saw another thick stroke of shadows as hands emerged and gripped your ankles. Trying to move forward, you tripped at your attempt. The darkness seemed to strengthen their hold on you as you stretched your fingers to the blanket fort. Feeling the fabric slip through your fingers you growled in frustration.

"Fuck!"

Stretching your fingers once more, your finger tips caught on the fabric and pulled hard. Using it as leverage, you poured all your effort to escaping the beasts at your ankles. It was a tug of war with your body as you wondered just how strong these demons were. Jerking you back, you never released the blanket as you hauled yourself once more to where you wanted to be. Once in reach, you threw your hands to your bed post. Grabbing the furniture you pulled yourself with every ounce of strength you had as the monsters dug their claws deeper into your flesh. Yelling in pain, you thrashed your legs about as though a shark was biting your lower half. Hands broke from your kicks, falling to the floor or slithering back to their dark master. Looking over your shoulder, you noticed more dark hands emerged again and reached for you. Quickly rolling to the side, you grabbed the board and threw open the bedroom window, hurriedly climbing out.

Leaping from the bedroom window, you barely caught yourself on the dewy grass. Hurriedly standing you tried to run forward only to trip on the slippery ground and your feet. As you fell, the board released itself from your grip and hit the ground rather roughly a few feet away from you. Reaching for the board, you felt your arm slump into the ground. It had only been a few hours, but the ordeal had mentally and physically drained you. Breathing in the Earthy smell, you couldn't wait to get Mark back and fall asleep in his arms. You figured it's what you both needed after this harrowing Halloween night.

From the house you heard a loud bang as you turned your attention to your home. Tension swirled about the house like a thick whirlpool with no means of escape. Lying on the ground, the tension suffocated you in its dense fog as you could only imagine the horror that Darkiplier was brewing. A loud growl emerged from your home. Your heart caught in your throat as a titan of darkness rose from the walkway leading up to the front door. Slender arms sprouted from his thick frame as dusty, bone talons protruded from skeletal palms. Throwing his long skull forward, you watched antlers and fangs form and threateningly glare at you. The monstrosity and its' empty, long shadow stretched over your frame and the house. Never before had you felt so small as you shrunk into the Earth, feeling the dew against your skin.

In between the eyeless sockets of the monster, Darkiplier stood with a grin like a wolf who had overpowered his prey. He controlled the beast with his sheer will as you swore the monster looked like the monster from Knock Knock. Either way, you knew you couldn't let Darkiplier foil your plan. Throwing his arm down, you noticed he was pointing at the board not too far from you. Quickly rising, you watched the beast toss his claws forward. Stumbling backward, you clung to the board, knowing Mark's life relied on it. Sliding to the right, the claws barely missed you. Watching Darkiplier give another command was your signal to run.

The pounding of the beast's claws against the Earth made your heart stop with every tremor. It was obvious as to what Darkiplier was trying to do; smash you into the world and never let you rise so that he could easily feast upon you. You refused to let that happen as you kept running, clutching the board and guarding it with your body. Sharply looking to the left, the extinguished fire pit was a relieving sight, a dimmed beacon that you would ignite in a matter of minutes. Your feet swiftly carried you through the beast's strikes. From the corner of your eye, you failed to notice Darkiplier had vanished from controlling the large creature as you reached the metal fire keeper. Closing up the Oujia board, you tossed it into the dark mouth.

Now all you needed were the matches which were conveniently on the little patio table. You didn't notice the monster stopped attacking and only breathed and groaned lowly, its voice carrying on the wind. The sound went past your ears, Mark being your only concern. Rushing to the table, your hand threw itself onto the box of matches, only to be met by a clawed hand of darkness. Your breath caught in your throat, knowing who owned those talons as you sharply looked up, meeting those white dots again.

"Ending the fun?"

Terror wrapped itself around you like a cloak as you felt your shoulders weigh down as though someone set boulders on them. You felt his claws dig deeply into your wrist as you bit your lower lip; you dared not show pain to this monster. Trying to move, you found yourself frozen with fear as Darkiplier grinned, an eerie chuckle reverberating from his throat. Your heart thrummed in your ears as you felt it nearly pound out of your chest like a suicide artist.

"You're not going anywhere," he murmured, his creepy tones raising the hairs on your back and making your skin pale once more. You could feel the claws of the looming monster over your house create a cage around you and Darkiplier. Swallowing hard, you growled beneath your breath.

"And neither…..am I," he spoke once more, leaning in and whispering his cryptic message into your ear.

Your spine shivered, as you locked eyes with the darkness behind him. His Amnesia army greeted you with stretching hands and opening jaws, ready for their late night snack. Darkiplier gripped your other wrist, ensuring no escape for you. Meeting his grin, you watched as he opened his mouth wide enough to bear all of his fangs and shut it quickly. A mere intimidation and a glimpse of your future that still made your soul quake in fright. You watched the hands from behind him stretch and slowly cling to your arms. Their cold, clammy corpse like hands made you shriek, breaking your strong front towards Darkiplier. With your shrill notes, he cackled wildly like a lunatic released from the asylum.

Mixed vocals carried into the late night, silencing any thoughts in your head as for a moment you felt hollow. It seemed like you had been sucked of every hope, every dream, every wish, every emotion, and every single thing in your body. It was as though your soul had taken flight and abandoned your vessel to greet the Gods.

You had come so close now. You couldn't surrender. Would Mark Fischbach let you surrender? You knew the answer in your head. The man would never let you give up no matter what the situation was. Taking a deep breath, you stared at Darkiplier and through his shadowy demonic skin you saw the man you had adored all this time. You saw the prisoner of something much darker and uncontrollable and if you listened close enough, you could hear his words of encouragement as they resounded in your mind.

"Don't be afraid," Mark's voice whispered softly in your head as you could feel Darkiplier's breath on your cheeks. It stung like brushing against a sharpened blade as you bit your lower lip while it shook.

"Face your fears," Mark's vocals reverberated in your head, each syllable ringing out and silencing the wailing of the Knock Knock beast. Easing your heart, the words bounced against the walls of your mind, driving out any terror that possessed you.

"For they will never hold you back," the time was now to end this night and with Mark's words as your fighting fuel of fire, nothing could stop you; not even the demons in the dark.

By now the hands had gripped your neck with Darkiplier holding you in place. Mouths were inches from your face as you saw their deep, dark endless pits. Their reddened tongues anticipating to become even redder with your body and blood. Staring into these dark voids lined with fangs and teeth, the stench of blood and deceased bodies didn't even seem to bother you. You had smelled them all night, so now was no different than the hours before. Your hand still clutched the box of matches as you mustered up your strength and swung your arms roughly.

Thrown off by this, Darkiplier and the monster struggled to keep a hold on you. The strength you possessed was doubled, no, tripled, by Mark's words as they chanted in your head. They were mantras to keep fighting not only for yourself, but him as well. Your feet moved with your legs, working in tune with your body as you pushed them back. Back, back! Back into the darkness of your house that would soon be banished by the dancing flames of the fire pit! You unleashed a battle cry as they tried to push you into the ground and attempted to climb ontop of you and pin you down. Refusing to let this happen, you pushed them deeper into the threshold of your home. Never once did your feet slip or your balance shake as you grit your teeth, bearing a grin of determination and motivation to the monsters at your door. Slowly their grip weakened and they fell away, even Darkiplier couldn't stand to grip you. Turning on your heel, you heard them roar once more and lunge at you. Quickening your pace, you slid in between the bony talons of the Knock Knock beast, rushed to the fire pit and struck a match. Once more you stared into those white dots and found fear stirring in Darkiplier's demonic soul as you grinned.

"Halloween's over, Darkiplier, and so are you," casting the burning match into the fire pit, Darkiplier shrieked as the board went up in flames like a gasoline coated corpse.

The great Knock Knock beast emitted a low wail that turned into a high pitched scream as his body hurriedly faded into the night. The Amnesia army yelled and writhed with agony as they vanished into Darkiplier's shadow. Wide dots shrunk and expanded in horror as his jaw opened as far as it could go and unleashed a shriek that sounded inhumane. Hiding behind the fire pit you watched as the dark, demonic spirit be torn from Mark's body.

"Mark!"

The fire seemed to grow hands as it pulled and yanked Darkiplier into the flaming pit where the board burned brightly. The dark force writhed, trying to reconnect with the unconscious Mark as you raced to Mark's body. Throwing yourself before Mark, your body transformed into a barrier to prevent the nightmare from repeating. Never leaving those white dots, they widened in fear as Darkiplier's slung open jaw unleashed horrific screams into the night. Bit by bit, the fire swallowed the demon's body as he reached for Mark once more before vanishing completely into the flaming pit with his army.

Quickly closing the fire pit, you breathed a sigh of relief. Darkiplier was gone. The Amnesia army and giant beast were gone. That horrid blood stench was gone. Even the Oujia board was reduced to nothing more than a pile of ashes. It wasn't dawn just yet, but for you it felt as though the Sun was rising and everything was all right. Even the smell of the Earth seemed rejuvenated and more inviting, as though thanking you for ridding it of demons and darkness. Now the only thing you had to worry about was –

"MARK!"

Running to him, you heard him groggily groan as his eyes opened to meet your worried orbs. From the corner of your eye, you noticed your house was calmer now. More tranquil and more inviting, done away with any darkness that had lurked in it the hours before. Breathing deeply, the weight was lifted from your body and for once, during the night, your soul felt at ease. Watching your boyfriend slowly come to, he stretched his fingers and examined them, as though they weren't his and for a moment were someone else's. It was a strange feeling and yet, he couldn't understand why he felt it. His fingers were his though and no one else's, just like the rest of him.

"Mark? Mark!"

"What….happened?"

"Oh thank God," pulling Mark to you, confusion embraced his frame as he held you close.

Resting his head on your shoulder, you smiled at his touch. For once it was not a forceful grip or claws digging into your skin. Rather, it was his gentle arms holding you as you held him, terrified that if you released him that the nightmare would begin again. Watching the fire pit spew smoke and lick flames, you knew that the Oujia board and all its demons would never return again. Nor would you ever go out and purchase another Oujia board for novelty. The nightmare would never happen again and you would make sure of that in the many days to come.

"All I remember was something going very, very wrong inside of me. Like something was taking over me and then -"

"Ssh, ssh, Mark. It's okay now. It's all over. Everything is okay. You're okay, I'm okay. It's all okay," you spoke in a kind yet tired tone.

You didn't want to tell him of the things that had happened during the night. You didn't want to inform him how was possessed and gripped your wrists and ankles too tightly or how this demonic entity made you tremble in fear. You didn't want to scare him or worry him in any way. If he asked in the future, then you would definitely answer any questions he had. But for now, there were some things better left unsaid or asked. Perhaps, it was better that way. Perhaps, it would be better to let demons die and hold each other until the fire faded away.


End file.
